Kai Havertz was an enigma from beginning to end at Chelsea. The silky German was never an easy player to judge and, although there can be no doubts over Havertz’s grace or technique, his inconsistency and the club’s struggle to identify his best position mean he arrives at Arsenal with questions hanging over his head.
This is a deal that comes with a dash of the unknown. There is an element of risk for Chelsea, who will feel immense regret if Havertz ends up being remembered alongside Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah as a talent who thrived once he was in a more settled environment, but the gamble is not theirs alone. Even Havertz says his first season at Chelsea would have been a disaster had it not ended with him scoring the winner in the Champions League final against Manchester City two years ago. That goal changed a lot of the perceptions; take it away and chances are he would be regarded as yet another Bundesliga starlet unable to cut it in the Premier League.
As it is, Havertz is more frustration than failure. There is a certain mystique around the 24-year-old, perhaps because of the elegance that defines him at his best, and the disappointment for Chelsea is they have been unable to develop a talent who ended up feeling that a move would give him a better chance of fulfilling his vast potential.
There may be comfort for Chelsea in the knowledge that Arsenal are also rolling the dice on Havertz. It is an intriguing move and does not come without potential drawbacks. Yes, Havertz is inventive, unselfish, versatile, technically gifted and deceptively strong in the air. Yet he is also an unreliable finisher and prone to long spells of indifferent form, and his habit of drifting out of games will not be much help for Arsenal if it happens when they are looking for players who can handle the intensity of competing with Manchester City for the title.
Mikel Arteta’s belief in his ability to help Havertz improve will be tested. Arsenal’s manager pushed for and wanted this transfer wrapped up quickly. Arteta has faith in Havertz and the upside for Arsenal is clear. They are paying an initial £60m plus £5m in add-ons for a player who was regarded as one of the brightest young talents in the world when Bayer Leverkusen sold him in 2020 and it is possible to see how Havertz and Arteta could be good for each other.
For Arteta, there is an attraction in having more options at his disposal. A lack of depth exposed Arsenal during the run-in last season and they began to toil when Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus tired. They need more variety and Havertz provides it. He is capable of playing in a number of positions across the front line and it would be wrong to judge him on his struggle to convince as a stand-in No 9 for Chelsea.
The point is that Chelsea did not envisage Havertz as a striker when they signed him for an initial £72m. He was seen as more of a No 10, a creator, and Frank Lampard’s vision at the start of the 2020-21 season was to set Chelsea up in an attacking 4-3-3, with Havertz and Mason Mount twin No 8s, wingers either side and a defensive midfielder screening the back four.
That formula barely saw the light of day. Lampard lasted half a season before making way for Thomas Tuchel, who introduced greater defensive stability and rearranged Chelsea in a counterpunching 3-4-2-1. Havertz became a false 9 and his class was evident when his deftly taken goal against City made Chelsea European champions for the second time.
Yet Chelsea were never a flowing attacking side under Tuchel. Romelu Lukaku was bought to lead the line and proved an awkward fit. Lukaku’s arrival had allowed Havertz a brief spell in a deeper role but it would not be long before he was playing as a striker again.
after newsletter promotion
Ultimately Havertz had to sacrifice himself for the team. He has scored 32 goals in 139 games for Chelsea but he does not see himself as a striker. He has been itching to drop back – he has often played in a deeper role for Germany – and he could be sensational in a team as instinctive and creative as Arsenal.
Imagine Havertz linking with Saka and Martinelli, or ghosting into space created by Jesus’s movement. Imagine the possibilities if he develops an understanding with Ødegaard. Imagine Havertz after being coached by Arteta, who has had a huge effect on Ødegaard since signing the Norwegian from Real Madrid. Imagine Havertz slotting into Granit Xhaka’s role as the left-sided No 8 in Arsenal’s 4-3-3 and Declan Rice telling him to push on.
The possibilities are endless. This is a chance for Havertz to start over. He grew restless at Chelsea last season – the number of changes behind the scenes made the place seem colder – and forced their hand by telling them he would not be signing a new deal.
The appointment of Mauricio Pochettino made no difference. Havertz has been through too much upheaval at Chelsea, too much dysfunction. It is no wonder expensive attacking signings are underperforming. The connections in the final third are nonexistent, the flux constant, so it is not a surprise that Arsenal’s stability on and off the pitch appeals. This is a chance to find some clarity. Havertz has to be more for Arsenal than a conundrum to solve.
